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(No Model.) A G. W. FOWLER & A. M. OOYLE.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

No. 467,591. Patented Jan. 26, 1892.

FIGJHI.

%t (o o) I V a p 3 go UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WV. FOWLER AND ANDRETV M. COYLE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE STANDARD SCREW ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,591, dated January 26, 1892. Application filed August 24, 1891. Serial No. 403,507. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: full length of the elevator-shaft. A similar Be it known that we, CHARLES W. FOWLER casting B, with jaws b, may be placed at the and ANDREW M. COYLE, citizens of the United bottom of the car.

States, and residents of Baltimore, in the State Between the rails C and jaws Z) lie the wedges 5 5 of Maryland, have invented a new and useful 70, normally out of contact with the rail C. Improvementin Automatic Safety Devices for They are carried by rods 19. which can slide Elevators, which improvement is fully set in eyebolts q, screwed into the side frame of forth in the following specification. the car. A spring m (which may be either a This invention has reference to the contension-or a compression spring) surrounds 60 IO struction of safety mechanism for elevators rod 19 and tends to force it, and consequently that is to say, of mechanism which acts autothe wedges also, upwardly. The wedges have matically upon the accidental parting of the at their upper ends a projection 70', extendhoisting-cable to clutch the car against the ing horizontally from about the middle of uprights or sides of the well, and thus inthe wedges, and these projections lie directly 65 sure the safety of the passengers. under the catches gofasliding plate or latch G.

In certain respects the invention is an im- Consequently, when the parts are in the posiprovement upon the devices described in aption shown in the drawings, the wedges cannot plication of Charles \V. Fowler and John Gusbe raised by their springs far enough to make tafson, filed May 9, 1891, Serial No. 392,220. contact with the rail C and check the move- 70 20 In common with said devices the present inments of the car. \Vhemhowever,thelatches vention includes actuating-springs for the ar- G are moved in either direction, so as to reresting devices, normally held under uniform lease the wedges 70 from catches or stops tension (or compression) by a latch, which the springs on will at once throw the wedges latch is adapted to be withdrawn when the into action, forcing them in contact with the 75 hoisting-rope breaks. The apparatus also is rail C. The springs m have only to bring so arranged that after the brakes or arresting these surfaces in contact, the weight and modevices have been sprung they become absolnentum of the carbeing relied upon to clamp lutely independent of the hoisting-cable, so the wedges against the rail C with a grip prothat it is immaterial at what point the latter portionate to the energy of the descending 8o may break. We do not therefore claim,broadcar. To insure certainty in this action, it is ly, these features of construction and operanecessary that the friction of the vertical tion, and the invention, moreover, includes faces of the wedges 70 against the rail C should several features not disclosed in said prior greatly exceed that of the inclined edges application. against the jaws b. To this end a number of 85 3 5 The general objects of said invention are to anti-friction rollers cl are placed in the intesecure greater simplicity in construction and rior of the casting B, between the jaws and increased certainty and efficiency in operawedges 7;. It will be obvious that with this tion. These objects, as well as the means construction the wedge 7t cannot slip on the whereby they are secured, may be most conrail, for as the car descends the jaws b, rolling o 0 veniently explained in connection with the overthe rollersd,will-force thewedges against accompanying drawings, in which the rail. Conversely, when it is desired to Figure I isa side elevation illustrating the release the car from the clutch mechanism, improved safety mechanism. Fig. II is a parthere is no difficulty arising from the jamming tial elevation at right angles to Fig. I, and of the wedge. Power being applied to lift 5 Fig. III is a partial plan View. the cable, the jaws 17 move easily over the A represents part of the central cross-beam rollers and the car is released. on top of the car, and A one of the side frames The mechanism for automatically withof the car. drawing the latch G maybe of various kinds.

Bis a metal casting bolted on the end of A simple form is shown in Fig. I. L repre- I00 beam A and provided with jaws b, which emsents a sheave, under which the double hoistbracc the upright or rail 0, which runs the ing-rope M is looped. Cords or straps n, having a certain amount of slack, are attached at one end to the rope M and at the other to the sliding plate or latch G, which extends across the car, these cords crossing each other under the pulley L. It will be seen that the unequal stretching of the rope M will have no effect on the latch, but should said rope break on either one side or the other the opposite side tightens, and, through its connecting-cord n, withdraws the latch G, and thus releases the. clutch mechanism on both sides of the car.

It is found desirable to provide a ready means for ascertaining whether the safety mechanism is in order, so that it can be tested from time to time without detaching the cable and without any danger to the persons conducting the test. To this end the sliding plate or latch G is provided with a rack h, with which gears a pinion i on a shaft Z, eX- tending into the car and provided with a wheel 0 for turning by hand. By this simple means the latch G may at any time be thrown out of engagement with the Wedges and the car, being at the time descending, will be suddenly arrested if the mechanism be in operative condition. Obviously other equivalent means for operating the latch for the purposes of a test may be substituted for those described.

Fig. I shows means for resetting the brake mechanism after it hasbeen throwninto operation, said means comprising a lever 1*, connected at one end to the operating-rod s and at the other by links twith the horizontal levers u, whose outer ends are pivoted to the rods 10. To reset the safety-clutch mechanism, the operator presses With his foot on the end of rod 8. His weight, operating through thecompound levers described, pulls down the rods p and the wedges, and as soon as the projections k of the latter are below the catches or stops g of the latch-plate he resets the latter by turning wheel 0 in the proper vices, such as wedges and their springs, of a 1 latch-plate normally holding said devices out of action, a double hoisting-rope passing around a pulley attached to the car, and cords crossed under the pulley and connecting said latch-plate with the two members, respectively, of said hoisting-rope, substantially as described.

4:. The combination, with the arresting devices, such as wedges, and the latch adapted to release said devices upon the breakage of the hoisting-rope, of manually-operated means for Withd rawing and replacing said latch, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the arresting devices adapted to clutch a stationary part of the elevator-shaft and arrest the falling car, of a system of manually-operated levers, as set forth, for releasing and resetting said arresting devices, substantially as described.

6. The combination of arresting devices, springs for throwing said devices into action, a controlling-latchholding said devices out of action against the force of said springs, hand-operated mechanism for withdrawing said latch for the purpose of testing the arresting devices, and mechanism under the control of the operator in the car for resetting said devices, so that the latch can be returned to its normal position, substantially as described. 1

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES W. FOWLER. ANDREW M. COYLE.

Witnesses:

PHILIP MAURO, NELsoN H1ss. 

